Iran has announced it has begun enriching uranium up to 20% fissile purity at an underground nuclear facility – a major breach of the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and far in excess of that required for a peaceful domestic nuclear programme.
State-run IRNA news agency reported today that President Hassan Rouhani had ordered the advanced enrichment to commence at its controversial Fordow facility. The move represents the first time Iran has enriched uranium at such high levels since before the 2015 nuclear agreement – which caps permitted enrichment at 3.67%.
The latest breach means that Iran is now a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. While 20% enrichment appears far below the 90% needed to make nuclear weapons, the jump is relatively small compared to the greater work needed to increase from 4% to 20%. Enriching uranium from its natural state of 0.7% concentration to 20% takes about 90% of the total effort required to get to weapons-grade.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the move as evidence of Tehran’s intentions to develop a nuclear weapon and vowed that Israel “will not allow Iran to manufacture nuclear weapons”. He said: “Iran’s decision to continue violating its commitments, raise the level of enrichment and advance its industrial capacities for underground uranium enrichment cannot be explained in any way other than the further realisation of its plans to develop a military nuclear programme”.
Tehran’s decision to recommence efforts to enrich uranium closer to weapons-grade represents Iran’s most provocative breach of the JCPOA deal yet, and comes against increasing regional tensions between the United States and Iran.
Iran was already in breach of the nuclear deal by enriching to 4.5% but announced its intentions to the UN atomic agency last week to further increase enrichment. Iran’s parliament had previously passed a controversial law calling for the production and storage of “at least 120 kilogrammes per year of 20 percent enriched uranium” and denying IAEA inspectors access to the country, following the assassination of the so-called ‘grandfather’ of Iran’s nuclear programme – Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – in November.
According to the Arms Control Association, 120kg of uranium enriched to 20% was about half the amount of uranium that, when enriched to weapons-grade (90% or more), was necessary for one bomb.
